Key terms

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to identify definite and indefinite pronouns, possessive and relative pronouns, and basic pronoun and antecedent agreement.

Introduction

(10 minutes)

Write the following sentence on the board: “Rumpelstiltskin got Rumpelstiltskin’s book from the tree, and when Rumpelstiltskin was done reading, Rumpelstiltskin found out Rumpelstiltskin’s walking stick had been stolen. Rumpelstiltskin yelled, ‘A person that I can’t identify swiped Rumpelstiltskin’s stick!!’” (This sentence can also be found on the worksheet All Kinds of Pronouns: Introduction.)

Instruct students to turn to a neighbor and discuss the sentence. They will likely notice that the name is too repetitive.

Call on students to share ideas about how to make the sentence flow better and be less repetitive.

Assessment

Point to each pronoun and have students hold up one finger if it’s definite, two fingers if it's possessive, and three fingers if it's relative.

Review and closing

(5 minutes)

Have students pretend that they are going to meet the three different kinds of pronouns and that they are going to have a chance to thank them. What would they say to thank definite, possessive, and relative pronouns for the work that they do? Students can quickly demonstrate for the class.

Replacing possessive nouns with possessive pronouns helps your students' writing sound more natural and makes for an effortless read. Give your fifth graders the practice they need with these exercises created specifically for their age group.